Journalists’ Union: A free and responsible press is true guarantee for Syria’s future
May 3, 2025
If authoritarians are scared of journalists, we must be doing something right
May 3, 2025
May 03, 2025 – Sudan –
Since the eruption of war in Sudan in April 2023, female journalists have been subjected to escalating threats, harassment, and violence, underscoring the perilous conditions for media professionals in conflict zones.
Journalists like Samar Suleiman have faced online harassment, including doxxing and threats, after reporting on humanitarian issues. Suleiman received menacing messages via social media, with some accusing her of affiliations with armed groups, endangering her safety and that of her family. Similarly, journalist Al-Khazraji faced online abuse and threats following her coverage of deteriorating conditions in South Kordofan, including a report on a man who exchanged his daughter for food due to extreme hunger.
The physical dangers are equally alarming. In October 2023, Halima Idris Salim, a respected journalist for Sudan Bukra Channel, was fatally run over by a vehicle belonging to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) while reporting in Omdurman. In another tragic incident, journalist Samaher Abdelshafee was killed in a shelling attack on a displacement camp in central Darfur, where she had sought refuge with her family.
The broader media landscape in Sudan has been devastated by the conflict. According to the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate, 90% of the country’s media infrastructure has been destroyed, and around a thousand journalists have been displaced. Many media institutions have been systematically looted, forcing journalists to flee or seek alternative livelihoods.
These targeted attacks and systemic challenges underscore the urgent need for international attention and support to protect journalists and uphold press freedom in Sudan.
Reference –
Sudan war turns journalism deadly amid killings, arrests, threats
Sudanese women journalists: systematic targeting and a heavy price in wartime
